Bale-handling mechanism



Oct. 9, 1962 H, E, DE EUHR 3,057,455

BME-HANDLING MEoHANI/SM Original Filed Feb. 9, 1960 United States PatentOllice 3,057,455 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 3 Claims. (Cl. 19g-128) Thisinvention, the application for which is a division of copendingapplication Ser. No. 7,718, filed February 9, 1960, relates tobale-handling mechanism and more particularly to that type of mechanismcommonly known as a bale `thrower, which is attachalble to or mounted onthe rear or equivalent discharge end of a typical agricultural baler ofthe pick-up type, whereby to facilitate and render substantiallyautomatic the process of picking up hay, forming it into bales, anddelivering the bales to a trailing wagon.

The forerunner of mechanism of this type is exemplified, for example, inthe patent to Morrison 2,756,865, which features a pair of swingablearms mounted at the rear of the baler and equipped with gripper meansfor engaging opposite sides of an emerging bale and being powered bydrive mechanism which swings the arms upwardly and rearwardly to trajectthe bale into the trailing w-agon. The present invention featuresimprovements in protective or safety means for bale throwers of theswinging arm type and has for its principal object the provision of animproved means, guard screens or grilles operative to protect those nearthe machine from injury by the swinging arms. It is a feature of thepresent invention to provide the safety means in such form `that innormal position they permit observation of the machine but which may beeasily swung out of such normal position to permit access to thethrowing mechanism for adjustment, repair, etc.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable featuresinherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent aspreferred embodiments thereof are disclosed in detail in theaccompanying description and appended drawings, the several figures ofwhich are described below.

FIG. l is a small-scale elevation, with portions broken away, showing atypical vehicular train incorporating a baler, bale-handling mechanismand a trailing vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a plan, with portions of the baler and balehandling mechanismshown schematically, illustrating a preferred form of guard or shieldmeans for the balehandling mechanism, broken lines illustrating what maybe regarded -as folded positions of the shields and guard.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 2, dotted lines[being again employed to illustrate the folded position of the guard.

In the vehicular train shown in FIG. l, the baler is designated by theletter B, the bale-handling mechanism by the letter T and the trailingwagon by the letter W. The baler is of the typical pick-up type and maybe drawn by a tractor (not shown), through the medium of a draft tongueforming part of the baler main frame which is supported on ground wheels12. The numeral 14 represents the pick-up mechanism which is operativeto pick up previously harvested hay from windrows in the field and tocause this hay to move ultimately to a fore-and-aft bale case in which abale chamber is defined by a plurality of walls, including oppositesides 16, a top 18 and a bottom or iloor 20, the plurality o-f Wallsdelning a rear rectangular discharge opening or portion representedgenerally by the numeral 22. Those familiar with the art will appreciatethat bales are successively formed in the bale chamber by means of areciprocating plunger (not shown) powered by means including a ywheel24. Successive bales in the chamber are formed and tied and emergesuccessively past the rear discharge portion 22. A representative baleis shown in broken lines and is designated by the numeral 26.

Considered broadly, the bale-handling mechanism T comprises a receiveror receiving pan 28 normally or initially disposed adjacent to the Abaledischarge portion 22 and mounted by a pair of parallel link-s 30 and 32on support means including a framework 34 which in turn is connected tothe bale case walls. The pivots for the upper ends of the links Sil and32 are provided at an upper part of the support and are transverse tothe normal path of movement of the emerging bale 26 as it moves to thedischarge portion 22. These pivots are designated respectively at 36 and38. The lower ends of the links are pivotally connected respectively at40 and y42 to the receiver 23. Drive mechanism, which may be of the typeshown in the above-identitied'Morrison patent, as well as in thecopending application, is controlled by suitable bale-sensing andcontrol means, as shown in said patent and application, for causing thereceiver 28 to swing from the loading position of FIGS. 1 and 3 to anunloading or discharging position as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1,whereupon the bale 26 is trajected to the wagon W as will be obvious,the front end of the wagon being open to receive the bale. In thismanner, the baling operation is rendered substantially automatic, sincethe pick-up baler, which itself is primarily automatic, is augmented bythe automatic bale-handling mechanism so that manual labor in handlingbales between the baler and the wagon is eliminated.

The bale receiver 28 is of U-shaped cross section as seen from the frontor rear and has opposite sides to which the pivotal connections 40 and42 are made. It will be understood, of course, that there is anotherpair of arms 30 and 32 at the opposite side of the structure. The pivot36 is established by a transverse shaft across the upper part of thesupporting frame 34 which, as best seen in FIG. 2,'is likewise composedof opposite sides rigidly connected to the baler. At this point, itshould be noted that the bale-handling mechanism T could be provided asa separate unit towed behind the baler if desired. Consequently, thepresent mounting structure does not import any limitations into theinvention. The arms 30 and32 are, in their normal positions, as shown inFIG. 3, of sufficient length and so arranged as to geometry las todispose the pan 28 in a loading position in which its, lloor is slightlybelow the discharge portion 22. The progress of the bale in moving fromthe discharge portion 22 to the receiver is a function of the yformationof a succeeding bale as material is accumulated in successive charges,all as well known to those versed in the art, and ultimately the bale 26will move rearwardly clear of the discharge portion 22 so as to droponto or descend to the receiver 2S. This principle, of causing the baleto clear the discharge portion 22 before the receiver is actuated, meansthat the receiver may be operated without intreference from anyfrictional forces that the baler may impart to the bale. In other words,the bale, when received by the receiver 2S, is now entirely independentof the bale case. Moreover, as the receiver returns from its unloadingposition (broken lines in FIG. l) it will pass clear of a succeedingemerging bale and consequently will not contact such bale as would bethe case in some designs of the gripper-type of bale thrower. A stillfurther advantage of this arrangement is that the descent of the baleonto the receiver is utilized to initiate mechanism for causing drivemechanism to function to swing the receiver between its loading andunloading positions and return.

For the purpose of deriving power from the baler, suitable drive means,which may be of any type (see above) and are therefore shown as beingenclosed in a safety shield 44, are used to connect the ywheel 24 to atransverse shaft 46 appropriately journaled on the supporting frame 34.Since the ywheel 24 is constantly driven and the shaft 46 must beintermittently driven, it is necessary to provide in the drive mechanisma suitable clutch whereby the drive mechanism may be energized anddeenergized. For this purpose, a typical one-revolution clutch (notshown) is utilized, as in the Morrison patent. Such clutch will includea constantly driven part (not shown) driven in the lirst instance fromthe flywheel 24 and an intermittently driven part (not shown) normallydisengaged from the constantly driven part but connected theretoautomatically at intervals to drive a pitman 60 connected to the arms orlinks 30. However, these particular details may be varied to suitindividual desires.

When the receiver 2S is in its loading position, the clutch isdisengaged and as is typical in one-revolution clutches, the clutch isautomatically disengaged after one revolution, thereby discontinuingrotation of the shaft 46 while permitting the constantly rotating partto continue.

In the present case, the clutch is controlled by means which is madedependent upon the position of a vbale 26 relative to the receiver 28.In other words, as long as the receiver 2S is in its loading positionand is empty, the clutch is disconnected, whereby the drive mechanism,which includes the pitman 60, is de-energized. Therefore, thebale-handling mechanism or thrower T is idle, being normally arranged toawait delivery thereto of the bale 26. Energizing and de-energizing ofthe drive mechanism depends upon bale-sensing and control means,including, among other portions to be described, a follower 76 which ispivoted at its forward end at 78 to the frame 34 and which extendsrearwardly and downwardly, having at its rear end a roller or followerwheel in the path of emergence of the bale 26. Consequently, as the bale26 emerges, the follower will be engaged by the bale and will ride thebale, being displaced from its initial position until ultimately as thebale 26 clears the discharge portion 22 and drops to the receiver 28,the clutch is engaged and the bale is thrown to the wagon. There issufficient accelerative force in the drive mechanism to cause the bale26 to be trajected to the wagon W, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.The timing of the clutch and the linkage represented by the pitm-an 60and parallel links 30 and 32 is such that the receiver 28 will bereturned to its loading position during one revolution of the clutch, atwhich time the clutch automatically disengages, a well-knowncharacteristic of one-revolution clutches.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the machine equipped with protective meanscomprising a pair of side shields 108 and a guard 110. Each side shieldis made up of a frame, preferably tubular, which carries an appropriateprotective screen 112, and each frame is so shaped that it has agenerally upright forward edge portion 114 which is mounted on thesupporting frame 34 by upper and lower hinge means 116 which -arecoaxial on a generally vertical axis. In their normal positions, the-shields respectively ank opposite sides of the mechanism T, in whichpositions they are maintained by cooperation with the guard 110, whichis in the form of a U, having a bight 118 and opposite fore-and-aft legs120. The forward end of each leg is proximate to the respective side ofthe supporting frame 34 and is pivoted there at 122, the pivots 122being of course coaxial on a transverse horizontal axis. In normalposition, the legs 120 of the guard 110 lies laterally outwardly of therespective shields 108 and the bight 118 is to the rear of the mechanismT. This establishes a protective means about the mechanism T so thatduring operation thereof persons standing or walking close thereto willnot be injured.

The arrangement features provision for removability or folding of theshields and guards so that access may be had to the mechanism. For thispurpose, the shields and guard are interconnected by releasable means,here comprising four U-shaped elements 124 rigidly secured respectivelyto the shields 108 and extending outwardly so as to receive or embraceproximate portions of the guard legs 120. Each element 124 has aremovable pin 126 and the legs of the element are appropriatelyapertured to removably receive the pins. When the pins are in place, thethree protective elements 108, 163 and 110 are securely maintained inthe full-line positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the pins areremoved, the shields 108 may be moved laterally inwardly sufficiently tofree the elements 124 from the legs 120 of the U-shaped guard 110, andthereafter the guard may be swung forwardly and upwardly to thedotted-line position as indicated. vFollowing this, the shields 108 maybe swung laterally outwardly as indicated in dotted lines. Thus, theprotective means has the advantage of being capable of occupying twopositions, one its normal position in which the shields and guard are inplace and the other a folded position in which the shields and guardprovide access to the mechanism for adjustment and/or repair thereof.Each hinge 116 is of the type in which its pintle is a downwardlyprojecting releasable hook 128 upwardly separable from its cooperativesocket 130, so that the entire shield may be removed if desired.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing that the improved bale-handlingmechanism incorporates many novel features and that it may be providedas an attachment for the baler or may be designed to be an integral partof the baler, so that the mechanism may be sold as regular equipment oras an attachment. The simplicity of the design results in a relativelylow-cost mechanism, besides one that is easy to operate, maintain andservice.

iFeatures of the invention other than those categorically enumeratedwill readily occur to those versed in the art, as will manymodifications and alterations in the preferred embodiment of theinvention disclosed, all of which may be achieved without departure fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a baler having a rear discharge portion at whichsuccessive bales are discharged, support means adjacent to said portion,and mechanism rearwardly of said portion and movable on the supportmeans for receiving successive bales from said portion and for movingsuch bales remotely rearwardly: protective means for said mechanism,comprising a pair of upright foreand-aft side shields normallypositioned to respectively ank the mechanism at opposite sides thereofand respectively having front edge portions proximate to the supportmeans; means hinging said front edge portionsto the support means onrespective upright axes for selective swinging of said shields laterallyoutwardly to afford access to said mechanism; means releasably retainingthe shields in their normal positions; a U-shaped guard having a bightnormally positioned at the rear of the mechanism and a pair of normallyforwardly extending legs respectively alongside the shields, said legsrespectively having forward portions proximate to the support means;means hinging said forward portions of the legs to the support means ona transverse axis for swinging of the guard out of its normal positionto lafford access to the mechanism;

5 and releasable means retaining the guard in its normal po- `sition 2.The invention dened in claim 1, in which: the two releasable means arecombined to aiord cooperation thereof with both the guard and theshields.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the legs of the guard arerespectively normally laterally outwardly of the shields whereby thelguard when released is swingable upwardly and forwardly to clear theshields References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMorrison July 31, 1950 Forth Mar. 19, 1957 Andrus June 30, 1959

